Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Yesterday, we talked about being arrogant vs. being humble. We looked at how we can come to God broken, seeking His mercy or come to Him in pride and miss the blessing of mercy. Jesus seems to continue with that theme in Luke 19:1-10 where He talks to Zacchaeus. Remember the kid’s song about Zacchaeus being in a tree? That’s who we are talking about.

See, Zacchaeus was a Jew and a tax collector for Rome. Because of this, he was regarded as a traitor by the Jewish people. Tax collectors were also thought to be skimming money from the Jewish people as well. He was hated, as you can imagine. A traitor and a thief probably gets little respect from everyone – to put it lightly.

But Jesus. Right? But Jesus showed him love, grace, and mercy in spite of the hatred toward him. If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we are all sinners deserving of death, and if we are saved, we know that Jesus entered our lives at the perfect time, just like He did with Zacchaeus. And when Zacchaeus encountered Jesus, he was changed inwardly. Once he changed inwardly, people could immediately see that change outwardly through his actions. He made everything he had done wrong, right as best he could. When we encounter Jesus, our lives should be changed inwardly and then reflected outwardly by our actions. That outward expression isn’t a result of obeying commands, but of love for our God and appreciation for the grace He has shown us, understanding how bad off we are in our sin and how good He is.

Reflection:

• Who is someone you don’t show love or respect to because of their lifestyle, choices, or background?
• How would God have you love them this week?
• Is there an outward change that reflects the inward change in your life?

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Don’t Judge, Give Hope

By: Todd and Cynthia Kilbourne

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. A perfect example of this is the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus was hated by the Jews because he was a tax collector for the Romans, and he took extra money for himself. Most Jews thought he was a traitor to his people. So why did Jesus say that He had to have dinner with him? To show us that He came to change people’s hearts toward God.

Zacchaeus must have felt that something was missing in his life, and that’s why he was curious about Jesus. Jesus chose to have dinner with him because he knew Zacchaeus' heart was ready for a change. Jesus gave him grace and showed Zacchaeus that he mattered to Him even though the Jews were against him. That led Zacchaeus to want to pay back those he had cheated even over and above what he had taken from them because he was so grateful for the kindness Jesus showed him.
We shouldn’t judge people as good or bad because we are all sinners. Instead, we should show them kindness. By giving them hope in Jesus, we plant the seed for a changed heart. So, how can you plant the seed this week?

• How can you show kindness and tell someone about Jesus?
• Invite someone to Church to hear the good news!
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving us no matter what we’ve done. Help us love the people around us no matter if they make good choices or bad choices. Give me the courage to be kind to someone different than me this week and invite them to hear about Jesus at church. Amen.